28 Year Female Old with Acne Scars, Some Enlarged Pores, Little Bit of Rosacea & Hyperpigmentation - Beverly Hills, CA
ORIGINAL POST
I was the girl in high school that had flawless...
sammar05March 27, 2015
WORTH IT
I was the girl in high school that had flawless skin, zit and pimple free, while my friends on the other hand were fighting zits & pimples. After I turned 19 years old, the ridiculously large cystic acne came into play and it was one of the hardest things I had to deal with considering the fact the no one else in my family had any acne issues and I always thought that acne was a complication of puberty, NOT young adulthood.
I was started on 3 different antibiotics (which did nothing), then birth control and finally I asked for Accutane. I was treated with Accutane for 7 months in Dallas, TX which after month 3 is when I noticed the acne dissipating. Accutane is an absolutely amazing drug but lots of side effects so close, monthly monitoring is needed. By the 6th/7th month, I was SO ready to be done with it, BUT, if I had to do all over again, I would.
Unfortunately, before starting Accutane, I picked severely at my zits/pimples...anyone whose ever had large pimples knows it is extremely difficult to resist picking at them. BUT, I wish someone would have told me how much picking at your acne is can severely scar your skin... SO, don't do it guys! Ever since I was treated with Accutane, I never broke out the same way again...yes I still had the occasional zit here & there but never my entire face. Having the acne then the scars really affected my confidence and made me miss my skin from HS so much. I also noticed my skin being more red & flush than when I was in HS...so I was diagnosed with some mild Rosacea.
I started to get into lots of skin scrubs, glycolic acids, peels and other creams to help with my acne & for someone who has no education (at the time) on skin cosmetics, I think I did an ok job, but I wasn't satisfied. Mind you, I am very anal about my skincare and I never to go bed without washing my face and I have been this way since I was about 15 years old. I am now a Registered Nurse so of course, I have studied the skin but obviously not like a specialist would.
I moved to Los Angeles November 2014 and I thought to myself, what better place to get skin treatments done other than LA. I looked at getting a chemical peel done and read reviews about different women getting them...some with good results and some with horrible damage. One day, I was on yelp and I searched for a dermatologist and I found Dr. Jason Emer who had some wonderful reviews and I decided to schedule a consultation with him at Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Emer informed me that getting a chemical peel would not be a good option for my me. I have more of an olive complexion with dry skin and tan extremely easy. I also retain color for a VERY long time and highly prone to scarring. We went over my treatment options and I have done numerous treatments with him.
I started with the Clear & Brilliant laser with Micro-Needling; completed 3 treatments of that then one treatment of the Viva laser treatment with micro-needling and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma). In between, I completed approximately 4 treatments of the V-Beam for my redness. Along with the treatments, I purchased other topical products to accelerate the healing process as well as assisting with the treatments. I love how my skin looks now after all my treatments! Unfortunately with scars, multiple treatments and patience is required. I am VERY happy of the outcome now but I will be going for more treatments in the future. I have gotten nothing but compliments on how my skin looks and I look younger as well! Unfortunately I am a perfectionist so I want to keep going till my skin is perfect or close to it! Down side of getting these treatments is that you will peel and your skin is very sensitive for 3-5 days post treatment. Mind you, ever since high school, I constantly applied sunscreen on my face with SPF of at least 30 because I was obsessed, SO my hyperpigmentation was not much at all. Also, I learned at Dr. Emer's office, that the perfect sunscreen includes Zinc Oxide and titanium as the main ingredients...something I never knew before and I wish I did. I am obsessed with any of the treatments and what's wonderful, Dr. Emer is constantly studying and learning different new & advanced treatment options. He is not a stagnant physician for sure!
I was started on 3 different antibiotics (which did nothing), then birth control and finally I asked for Accutane. I was treated with Accutane for 7 months in Dallas, TX which after month 3 is when I noticed the acne dissipating. Accutane is an absolutely amazing drug but lots of side effects so close, monthly monitoring is needed. By the 6th/7th month, I was SO ready to be done with it, BUT, if I had to do all over again, I would.
Unfortunately, before starting Accutane, I picked severely at my zits/pimples...anyone whose ever had large pimples knows it is extremely difficult to resist picking at them. BUT, I wish someone would have told me how much picking at your acne is can severely scar your skin... SO, don't do it guys! Ever since I was treated with Accutane, I never broke out the same way again...yes I still had the occasional zit here & there but never my entire face. Having the acne then the scars really affected my confidence and made me miss my skin from HS so much. I also noticed my skin being more red & flush than when I was in HS...so I was diagnosed with some mild Rosacea.
I started to get into lots of skin scrubs, glycolic acids, peels and other creams to help with my acne & for someone who has no education (at the time) on skin cosmetics, I think I did an ok job, but I wasn't satisfied. Mind you, I am very anal about my skincare and I never to go bed without washing my face and I have been this way since I was about 15 years old. I am now a Registered Nurse so of course, I have studied the skin but obviously not like a specialist would.
I moved to Los Angeles November 2014 and I thought to myself, what better place to get skin treatments done other than LA. I looked at getting a chemical peel done and read reviews about different women getting them...some with good results and some with horrible damage. One day, I was on yelp and I searched for a dermatologist and I found Dr. Jason Emer who had some wonderful reviews and I decided to schedule a consultation with him at Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Emer informed me that getting a chemical peel would not be a good option for my me. I have more of an olive complexion with dry skin and tan extremely easy. I also retain color for a VERY long time and highly prone to scarring. We went over my treatment options and I have done numerous treatments with him.
I started with the Clear & Brilliant laser with Micro-Needling; completed 3 treatments of that then one treatment of the Viva laser treatment with micro-needling and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma). In between, I completed approximately 4 treatments of the V-Beam for my redness. Along with the treatments, I purchased other topical products to accelerate the healing process as well as assisting with the treatments. I love how my skin looks now after all my treatments! Unfortunately with scars, multiple treatments and patience is required. I am VERY happy of the outcome now but I will be going for more treatments in the future. I have gotten nothing but compliments on how my skin looks and I look younger as well! Unfortunately I am a perfectionist so I want to keep going till my skin is perfect or close to it! Down side of getting these treatments is that you will peel and your skin is very sensitive for 3-5 days post treatment. Mind you, ever since high school, I constantly applied sunscreen on my face with SPF of at least 30 because I was obsessed, SO my hyperpigmentation was not much at all. Also, I learned at Dr. Emer's office, that the perfect sunscreen includes Zinc Oxide and titanium as the main ingredients...something I never knew before and I wish I did. I am obsessed with any of the treatments and what's wonderful, Dr. Emer is constantly studying and learning different new & advanced treatment options. He is not a stagnant physician for sure!
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Replies (6)
Thanks for sharing your experience with the community. Do you have any pics you can share? This is really helpful for others who are considering treatments and, of course, we'd love to see your progress!